Spiral conveyer



Feb. 21, 1939. G BURMEISTER 2,147,879

SPIRAL CONVEYER Filed March 24, 1957 Vals by brackets,

Patented Feb. 21, 1939 UNITED-STATES PATENT OFFICE SPIRAL CONVEYER Lloyd G. Burmeister, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to L. Burmeister 00.", Milwaukee, Wis., a corpo- This invention relates in ration of Wisconsin Application March 24, 1937; Serial No. 132,701 4 Claims. (01. 287-2) general to improvements in spiral conveyers and more particularly to an improved coupling construction therefor.

Spiral conveyers operating in elongated boxes are commonly employed for transporting grain,

such as corn and wheat, and and like products from on factory to another.

for transporting coal e part of a mill or These conveyers are usually sectional, in which case a predetermined number of the sections are v to produce a desired total suitably support the section conveyer box, bearings are conveyers are of substantial long as several hundred f usually termed hangers.

connected by rigid couplings length. In order to s for rotation in the suspended at inter- These length, frequently as eet, and necessarily there are many spiral sections incorporated therein, and many hangers, it being customary to have a hanger at each point the sections. In addition, i there is frequently a drive conveyer box.

Heretofore, in order of coupling between n lengthy conveyers, at each end of the to effect a rigid coupling between the sections, the adjacent shaft ends of said sections being tubular, it has been necessary to insert one end of a short couplingmember into the tubular end of one of s aid sections and the other end of the coupling member into the tubular end ofthe adjacent shaft section, utilizing bolts or the like to lock the telescoping parts to each other. In using these conve yers, it is quite common for portions of the spiral to become stripped or twisted off of the Sometimes conveye repair.

r shaft, necessitating these repairs can be effected without dismantling the conveyer, but this necessitates shutting down the tial length of time,

plant for a substanand is therefore an expensive procedure in a busy concern. damage to the spiral is so serious Very often, the as tonecessitate replacing one entire spiral section. When this is the case, it is necessary to remove two of the couplings to disconnect the damaged section from the adjacent sections, and with the coupling methods now employed, th

e coupling members cannot be removed, even after the bolts are taken out, without sliding the adjacent spiral section laterally to free the telescoped end of the coupling member.

However, this lateral .sliding ofv the spiral sections is normally prevented by the varif ous hangers and by the drive ends of the conveyor box, so matter it is now necessary, when a damaged sec:

mechanism at the that as a practical tion is to be removed, to dismantle the end drives and removeall .of the hangers throughout the entire length of thetconveye r. Necessarily, when this is doneon a 200-foot conveyer, for example, the loss of time is extremely costly.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a sectional spiral conveyer construction wherein the sections are coupled together in such a Way that any section can be removed for repair or replacement without in any way disturbing the adjacent sections or hangers.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved coupling for accomplishing the above result as well as for use in analogous situations.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a coupling assembly comprising end coupling portions insertable in the tubular ends of adjacent shaft sections to be connected, a center coupling portion positionable between said ends of the adjacent shaft sections, means including cooperating key slots and removable keys for connecting the end coupling portions to the center coupling portion, and readily removable retaining collars for holding the keys in position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coupling assembly as above described wherein the center coupling portion is journaled in a hanger bearing and projects slightly beyond said bearing on each side thereof, and wherein the end coupling portions project slightly from the ends of the tubular conveyer shaft sections; and wherein there are retaining collars on each side of the bearing to embrace the joints between the V projecting coupling'portions to hold the keys in position.

. The present invention is an improvement over my co-pending application Serial No. 84,868, filed June 12, 1936, in that the retaining collars are so formed and removably connected to the rest of the assembly as to preclude the possibility of said collars dropping off and freeing the keys. In the construction shown and claimed in the above mentioned application, a two part hinged collar is'employed in which the held. in assembled position by a relatively short bolt. If this belt is originally inserted properly, then the construction is entirely satisfactory. If, however, the collars and bolts are carelessly installed, then there is the possibility of the retaining'bolt becoming unthreaded and freeing the collar sections and keys held thereby, with resulting damage to the conveyer.

Itlis therefore a principal specific object of this invention to provide a structure as above described including key retaining collars, each formed of two cooperating semi-circular parts, wherein each of said parts has a. laterally ex.- tending lug,'jwhich lugs are connectible by a free ends are normally common securing means to the shaft of the adjacent spiral section whereby said collar parts will be retained in position indefinitely.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coupling construction which is relatively simple, which is inexpensive, which forms a rigid connection between the adjacent shaft ends, and which makes it possible to use unsplit bearings.

With the above andother objectsin view, the invention consists of the improved spiral conveyer and all its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating one complete embodiment of the preferred form of the invention in which the same reference numeral designate the same parts in all of the views,

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a conveyer box, parts being broken away and shown in longitudinal section;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through a portion of a conveyer box showing the conveyer and coupling construction therein;

Fig. 3 is a detail view in longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale showing the coupling;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the retaining collars alone.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 6 designates a conveyer box having therein a spiral conveyer formed of a plurality of connected sections 1, 8, 9, In, H and l2. The connected sections are rotatable in bearings l3 supported by hangers l4. The ends of the conveyer shaft project from the ends of the conveyer box to connect with suitable driving mechanism l5, and I6. The drives I5 and I6 may be motors or the like, or may be gearing suitably driven by a common drive such as overhead pulleys. Material may be conveyed into the conveyer through an inlet to'be discharged from-an outlet H3 at the opposite end.

It not infrequently happens that foreign matter mixed with the material being conveyed, causes damage to the spirals necessitating repair or replacement. Heretofore, due to the type of coupling employed between the shaft sections 1, .8, :9, I0, I and I2, it was necessary, in order to remove one of the sections of the spiral conveyer, to slide the adjacent sections laterally. Obviously, the drives l5 and I6 as well as the hangers |4 prevent such lateral sliding movement. .It has therefore been necessary heretofore to partially dismantle the drives 5 and I6 and remove all of the hangers l4. The present invention relates more particularly to a coupling construction which obviates the above, and which is an improvement over the construction shown in my co-pending application Serial No. 84,868.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 4 which shows adjacent reamed tubular ends I9 and 20 of spiral conveyer sections, it will be seen that the coupling assembly comprises end coupling portions 2| and 22 and a center coupling portion 23. The end coupling portion 2| is telescoped within the reamed end portion of the shaft l9 as illustrated with its end 2| projecting slightly beyond the end of the spiral section. The usual reenforcing sleeve l9 fits over the exterior of the shaft 1 9 and bolts 24 and 24' extending at right angles to each other through cooperating apertures in the sleeve 23, shaft |9and coupling portion2|,lock the parts together. The other end coupling portion 22 is similarly connected within the shaft20by means pling portion 23. Preferably,

of bolts 25 and 25 passing through cooperating apertures in an external sleeve 26, in the shaft 20 and in the coupling portion 22. The end of the coupling portion 22 also projects slightly beyond the end of the shaft 20 as at 21. The tubular shaft sections I9 and 20, reenforced by the sleeves 23 and 26, constitute the standard spiral conveyer construction, and the present invention requires no alteration of said standard parts.

The projecting ends 2| and 21 of the coupling portions 2| and 22 respectively are formed with crossing dovetail slots or key-ways 28 and 29. The

center coupling portion 23 is formed with cooperating dovetail slots 30 and 3|. Keys, of double dovetail form, are insertable in the coperating slots as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 to rigidly lock the end coupling portions 2| and 22 to the center coueach key assembly includes one long key 32 and two short keys 33.

It is to be noted that the center coupling portion .23 is journaled in the bearing I3 of one of the hangers |4,.the coupling member projecting from each side of the bearing as at 34 and 35. It is further to be noted that the keyways or slots of the center coupling portion are formed entirely in the projecting portions 34 and 35 and that the keywaysor slots of the coupling portions 2| and 22 are .formed entirely in the projecting ends 22 andI2'I.

The improved collar, designated generally by the numeral 36, for retaining the keys 32 and 33 in position is illustrated generally in Fig. 5, and

an identicalcollaris employed on each side of the hanger bearing. Each collar consists of a lower semi-circular section 31 and .an upper semi-circular section 38. The upper section has 2. lug or extension .39 extending laterally from the top thereof, and the lower section has a similar extension 4|]. The extension 39 is provided with a bolt hole 4.|,.and the extension 4|] is provided with an alined bolt hole 42. The collars are therefore adapted to be heldin shape by the standard bolts 24' and 25' which are customarily employed in standard spiral conveyer constructions, and which bolts are employed in the present invention for holding the coupling parts 2| and 22 in position in the ends of the tubular shafts I9 and 20 respectively. Accordingly, to secure the collars in posi- .tion,.it is necessary to remove the nuts from the bolts 24' and 25, withdraw said bolts, place the collar sections in the position shown in Fig. 3 and insert the bolts 24 and 25 through the holes 4| and 42 of the collar extensions. When the nuts 43 and 44 are tightened the collars will be firmly clamped in position and will rotate with the spiral shaft sections.

It is apparent that with the present arrangement if it is desired, for example, to uncouple the shaftend l9, it is merely'necessary to remove the coverpart from the conveyer box, remove the bolt 24, remove the freed two-part collar 36 held by the bolt 24', and remove the keys 32 and 33. If the corresponding collar at the other end of the shaft I9 is similarly removed, as well as the keys retained thereby, the entire shaft of the spiral section may be lifted completely out of the conveyer box without'in any way disturbing the other conveyer sections or any of the hangers. Due to the fact that this procedure can be so readily accomplished, a replacement section can be immediately inserted, and the damaged section repaired at any time that it is convenient. Thus there is very little lost time necessitated. With the type of coupling commonly employed in spiral conveyers, it has beennecessary to have the bearing parts l3 of split construction, so that the lower edge of each bearing was removable. With the present invention, as well as that shown in my co-pending application, however, due to the fact that it is unnecessary to remove the hanger, the bearing portions l3 may be of continuous unsplit form. With the split construction it is necessary to have holding means in the form of a U-shaped rod for the lower half of the bearing. With the present invention, however, this holding means may be eliminated so that the hangers form a minimum of obstruction to material which is being carried through the conveyer boX.

It is apparent that the retaining collars of the present invention are stronger than those shown in the co-pending application before referred to, and it is also apparent that the retaining collars of the present invention will not Work loose. It is further to be pointed out that the present invention makes it possible to employ the standard spiral conveyer sections without alteration and that the present invention makes it possible to run the spirals up close to the bearings so that there is no substantial gap in the spiral. It is also apparent that the present construction possesses substantial strength and that the three separable parts of the coupling shaft, i. e., 2|, 23, and 22, are so connected and braced as to render the same capable of withstanding all strains to which the conveyer may be subjected.

While this coupling construction is particularly adapted for use in connection with sectional spiral conveyers, and possesses particular advantage in the combination, it is apparent that the coupling is adapted for other analogous uses.

Various other changes and modifications may be made in the coupling construction without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all of such changes are contemplated as may come within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A coupling for a spiral conveyer having a tubular shaft end comprising a coupling member insertable in said tubular end and having an end projecting therefrom, a second coupling member having an end abutting the projecting end of the first coupling member, means for effecting a driving connection between, said abutting ends, a plural part collar embracing said abutting ends and said driving connection, a lateral extension on each collar part overlapping the adjacent end of the conveyer shaft, and means for removably securing said extensions to said overlapped end,

said collar parts being readily removable to provide for removal of the conveyer shaft without endwise movement.

2. A coupling for a spiral conveyer having a tubular shaft end comprising a coupling member insertable in said tubular end and having an end projecting therefrom, a second coupling member having an end abutting the projecting end of the first coupling member, said abutting ends being formed with registrable key slots, keys in said slots for joining said abutting ends, a plural part collar embracing said abutting ends to removably hold said keys in position, a lateral extension on each collar part, and means for removably securing said extensions to the end of the conveyer shaft.

3. A coupling for a spiral conveyer having a tubular shaft end comprising a coupling member inserta'ble in said tubular end and having an end projecting therefrom, a second coupling member having an end abutting first coupling member, said abutting ends being formed with registrable key slots, keys in said slots for joining said abutting ends, a plural part collar embracing said abutting ends to removably hold said keys in position, a lateral extension on each collar part overlapping the end of the conveyer shaft, and a single means for removably securing said collar extensions to said overlapped end and for securing the shaft coupling member within said end.

4. A coupling for use in a sectional spiral conveyer, said spiral conveyer having a pair of adjacent tubular section ends to be connected comprising an end coupling member insertable in each of said tubular section ends with a portion projecting therefrom, a center coupling member positionable in a hanger bearing and having its ends abutting the projecting ends of said coupling members, means positionable between the bearing and tubular shaft ends for efiecting a driving connection between said abutting ends, a plural part collar embracing each pair of abutting ends, one end of each collar being positionable adjacent the bearing and the other end being positionable adjacent the tubular section end, each collar part having a lateral extension overlapping the adjacent end of the conveyer section, and means for removably securing said extensions to said overlapped end, said collar parts being the projecting end of the readily removable to provide for removal of either 5 of the conveyer sections without endwise motion.

LLOYD G. BURMEISTER. 

